Vampire Project
by Aloria Snowheart
Summary: Damon the demon, the Dhamphir. For the past 155 years, he's been a vigilante hiding in the shadows. He goes against his own kind and puts his life at risk for the sake of the human race. What he didn't expect is to be recruited by The Association, a society that keeps the balance between creatures and humans. Little did he know that they will help him solve the mystery of his past.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there! I really appreciate reviews but if they're just mean things then you could take that review and flush it down a toilet. Enjoy the story. (Warning: names of people and places in this story have been changed in order to protect the agents of The Association) I do not own the photo also. **

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**2 years ago…**

"Everybody having fun tonight?!" I yelled and the crowd cheered and danced like it was the last thing they would do. Some puked in a corner from too much alcohol while some made out with their companions. The dark room was illuminated only by strobe lights and this works to my advantage. It's time to hunt.

**155 years ago in London…**

"MOM! MMMOOOMMMM!" Twenty- year old Damon screamed as tried to help his family. His mom was sprawled on the floor, his sister dead with a bullet through her head and his father missing. He asked for help as people passed by but they did nothing but stare. He looked around for someone he knows but couldn't find a familiar face in crowd. He searched their purses and found some notes. Written on those notes are words he was familiar with. Threats from other vampires were common but he knew that they were only after his father for he is the only full blooded vampire in the family. Pretty soon people took the bodies away and some detectives came. He waited for days in his lonely house for any clue that might lead to the murderer but all the guards could give him is the locket his mother wore. They said there was something inscribed on it and upon looking at the strange symbols carved on it, he knew that what did that to his family was no human. He trashed his house and burned every trace of him. He packed his stuff and took everything he needed; one of those is a small portrait of his family. That's how his journey started.

…**xxxXXXxxx..**

Damon watched the humans dance, drink and get wild in the club but what he was looking for isn't here. Sure he spotted a few vampires but they were the ones that he knew. He kept playing songs that he knew the crowd would like and when he played some particular songs people would cheer and do their worst drunk dance. His view on the large platform gave him the advantage of seeing everyone who walks in and out the club doors. What caught his attention was a pair that walked in. He studied them the lady had long straight black hair and was wearing a short black halter dress. She smiled at the man beside her who had brown hair and just like the lady, was wearing something expensive looking, a blue polo and black pants. Something about them seemed unnatural. Could they be the vampires he was looking for? He stared at them more as the bouncer allowed them to enter the high class area where only the richest could afford. It was on the second floor and he called one of his friends to take over for him as he followed them. The bouncer threw a questioning look at the DJ but let him pass anyway since he worked here.

The sound of people's laughter filled his ears along with the sound of glasses gently hitting each other for a toast. He looked around and studied the room. Red walls with black and white designs and red couches with black round tables, he always liked this room due to its sophistication but the red color was something he wasn't too fond of. He found the pair sitting on the couch with other people who had vampire like appearances. One in particular had a hungry look in his eyes. No shadow. The man is a vampire. He looked at the pair and found their shadows, humans. His time was running out, with his hoodie and torn up jeans, he sticks out like a sore thumb. If they found him suspicious, his plan would go down the drain.

He went back to the first floor and went straight for the platform. His partner left and he managed his station. He kept an eye out for the suspicious vampire and the pair.

"Excuse me! Night Angel!" A woman called me. Night Angel was the name I used as a DJ here and it seems the ladies have memorized it just to get my attention.

"Can I have a picture with you? It will be totally cool!" she said as she went up the platform. I quickly dodged her and just as I landed my eyes on the door, the vampire was already leaving with only the lady.

I ran as fast as I could without being attracting some more attention. I made my way outside where the guy was leaning against a wall and checking his phone. This guy entered with the lady so why did he leave her alone? Sometimes I really think the humans are idiots. My senses heightened and I pretended that I was just going to the parking lot but in reality I was following a scent that leads to a nearby alleyway. I kept walking but I noticed the guy following me. I walked a bit faster but the man just stopped at a black sports car. I revved to life and he left. He was a probably paid to lead the lady into a hungry customer. I didn't worry about him much and made my way through the alley where the lady walked with the vampire. He tried to get her to move closer but due to her drunken state she just laughed and swerved away from him. I got closer and I got their attention. The lady just looked at me as if she was analyzing me while the vampire just gave a warning gesture. I moved closer. The vampire lunged at me but his few glasses of wine didn't do him good. He was slower than I expected and easily killed him by stabbing him with a silver dagger. Luckily the cloth came of easily where it should have and I didn't get injured by the silver while it killed the vampire in front of me.

"Hands up!" The woman yelled as she took a gun from under her skirt. Ordinary bullets won't hurt me so I just played along.

"Two in one day… I must be lucky… I only wanted the serial killer one but you took care of him already. This gun is loaded with silver bullets so don't get any ideas." My eyes widened a bit but I just kept calm. I seriously don't want to get killed a bounty hunter. A car went near us and the guy she was with came out. He looked at me and tsked.

"what did he do to you?"

"just found him. He killed our target. Call the team. We'll bring him in, see what we can do." She replied and the guy happily complied.

It was already dawn when they took me to a building deep in the woods outside of the city. I can hear people talking on the other side of the white door. I didn't dare try to escape since I now know where I am, The Association, the group in charge of keeping the balance between the undead and humans.

"He's a vampire…" a male voice argued.

"He's a dhampir…" the other said.

A lot of voices kept talking back and forth and I just blocked them all out. It was after an hour that two people came out, both of them looked at me, judging me. The guy, the same one at the alley, held his hand out. He had, like I said before, brown hair and green eyes, the lady from the alley had long straight black hair and green eyes.

"My name is Gray Hoffman, this is one of my team mates…" he said as he pointed at the woman. "This is Alethea Hadley."

"Welcome to The Association. We are team Alpha, you are one of us now. There's no other choice. Take it or get killed." She said.

I shook his hand and the lady from the alley smiled. "You will be trained in fighting every form of creatures out there. We will hunt down evil in this world and you will help us. This world needs us, we are their only hope. So, ready to start rookie?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Present Day**

_Good morning Alethea! Get up and make some pancakes :) _

_Received : 7: 14 a.m _

_Received from: Gray 3_

First thing in the morning and I'm told to make pancakes, seriously that guy is weird. I started my morning routine of getting up from my bed and checking the room for anything out of place that was caused by something paranormal. I checked my pillow if my gun was still there and loaded, checked the cameras for any disturbances and lastly checked my sister who is in the other room. When I saw that she was still sleeping peacefully, I went ahead to get myself ready and make breakfast. It's the usual shower-groom- eat routine that I got used to.

Even though I have enough money to supply me and my sister for the rest of our lives, I still won't quit my job at The Association. Sure, it kills and injuries are a part of work but saving lives and keeping the undead at bay is a worthy cause.

"Good morning Alethea. I'm meeting with friends today so I might go home late." I heard my sister say from the other side of the bathroom door.

"Alright" I said as I rinsed myself and got a towel. I went back into my room and finished dressing up and fixing my hair when I received another text.

_Damon here just wanted to ask where your house is. Need to get away from some girl following me. Heard from the others that your house is nearly outside the city. Need your help. Pls. Have mercy._

_Received: 7: 53 a.m _

_Received from: Damon the Dhampir_

I sighed as I texted him, telling him not to lead strangers into my house and that he should just use his vampire powers and stuff. I said that he should go to where Gray and the others were living, the mansion that some "mysterious" man owns. I quickly hid the phone in my bag and when down to the kitchen. I grabbed some toast and took the keys to my white convertible. I told my sister I was leaving and she gave a nod. I went to the garage and quickly got in my car and left. I stared at our house, more of a mansion actually, before it completely vanished from my sight. I really loved the sight of it with its wood and false stone brick walls and modern design, and the fact that the area I was living in is nearly outside of the city gives me the comfort of peace.

I turned on the radio and listened to the songs while I drove through quite roads with a spectacular view of the ocean. There was a small buzz and I knew someone was calling. I didn't answer and instead drove faster to get to the base earlier. A blue sports car was behind me and I stared at the plate number. It was Ashton Hendricks, our weaponry expert in the team. We both stopped at a café and I hit his shoulder softly as a greeting. He smiled, exposing his perfect white teeth and dimples. His blue eyes sparkled and he ran his hand through his black hair.

"Still dating my best friend?" I joked as we both bought some coffee. He laughed and gave a thumbs up.

"Don't worry, I won't break her heart. She's the one. I know it. If she's not I'm sure you'll murder me when she cries." He took a sip and we both went back to our respective cars. We drove to the headquarters as fast as we can without breaking any laws.

"You're a bit late today…" Gray said just as me and Ashton went inside the building called Grant Enterprise, which is actually the base in disguise. Hiding in plain sight is a lot less obvious than having a base hidden underground and such.

"Good morning to you too, Gray. Anyway I heard that today is Damon's test in order to actually join the team. Since you are the leader, I was wondering what you have in store for him." I said as I checked some files on my table.

"it's just the usual test of history and protocols of the organization, along with skills test and test of reaction times. I can't do anything illegal to him so that's how far I could go." He sat beside me and started polishing his silver sword. I watched as Ashton paced back and forth while reading a file and while two of our team mates arrived. It was Eliza Jenkins and Lee Thompson. Eliza was as usual, gorgeous with her long strawberry blonde wavy hair and blue eyes. Lee just sat down while she told us about her night out. Lee is half Japanese and half American, he had spiky black hair and brown oriental eyes but his height is something from his American side. He towers over Eliza, let alone the average height me.

"Speaking of the devil…" Lee whispered when Damon entered our room. I could see a glint in Gray's eyes and I knew he wasn't going to let Damon in the group easily. All of us went to the testing center for physical skills, where Damon excelled in. He easily breezed through all the challenges given to him. It was now time for the other part, the mental exam.

"What's the difference between Mission, Project and Alert?"

"An alert is the lowest term, it's used for only checking out paranormal undead activities, mission is the second lowest, it means that there a case to solve and last is the project, it is the highest level. It means that we have a wanted creature on the loose with a plan in mind that could lead to a major crisis…"

"What's the purpose of The Association?"

"To destroy those who are planning to destroy the balance."

"What's the usual target of our organization and why?"

"Vampires. They like to kill humans to satisfy their bloodlust."

The two of them kept at it while other workers watch from the other side of a one way mirror. It was only Gray and Damon on the other side of it and the team just decided to play childish games while waiting. When we were finally bored of playing Pants, the two of them came out and we were all lead to the conference room. Gray sat at the center, me at his right; Lee at his left, Eliza sat beside me while Ashton just stood behind Lee.

We didn't pay attention to the test so we really don't know Gray's decision and Damon's test results. The reason that I begged Gray to let Damon have a test is because some of us don't like to kill innocent. Since Damon killed the vampire we were after, even though it was an evil vampire, he still committed murder. It wasn't an act of self-defense that we could justify and since he has no authority on creatures, what he did was a crime. Without the authority, he is deemed as a criminal and if he is a criminal, he must be killed. If we didn't take him in, he'd be dead already.

"Damon Jones… you are now officially part of Team Alpha. Congratulations." I wanted to laugh at the fact that Gray said it without any emotion at all. It was so unlike his usual joking self that looks like a kid having ice cream on a hot summer day. Relief flooded some of us and I guess it's now time to start the missions.


	3. Chapter 3

_We have a new project, Damon. Report at base A.S.A.P. _

_Received: 5: 32 a.m_

_Received from: Alethea Hadley_

The sound of the text woke me up instantly. It was so early in the morning that the sun wasn't even up yet, even though I'm sensitive to the sun. I took a shower as fast as I can and drank a cup of pig's blood before leaving. I took my helmet and my keys. The smell of grease hit my nose as I entered my garage and got on my motorcycle. Pretty soon I was speeding down the highway and quickly went into Grant Enterprise. I hurried to where our team's office was located and only found Alethea.

"Where are the others?"

"They are already there. They asked me to stay to pick you up. We're taking my car. I'm driving." I just nodded as we took the elevator down and went to the basement.

We reached a white convertible and she started to drive out the building.

"Where are we going exactly?" I asked.

"The river area outside Santa Monica City. It's only ten to fifteen minutes away." She played a song on her car and I started laughing.

"Why the f*ck would you play 'Red Lights' when you're driving? I mean "We could just run them red lights" is in the lyrics itself. I just find it ironic that you work for the peace when that's the song you listen to when you drive." Her cheeks flushed.

"It's more of a love song actually. It has meaning to me. You won't get it." She replied quickly and I just realized that her accent is actually quite strong.

"You're French right? Oh and also heard from Eliza that you're actually dating Gray…" the car swerved a bit and soon we were going faster than most women would dare to go. She's like a freakin' racer in NASCAR.

"I'm not the only foreign one in the team. Most of us came from different countries. Eliza is from England, Lee was from Japan, Ashton is Canadian and Gray is the only pure American. We were recruited from a special test back in college then our skill set was screened along with our background. They practically picked the best in the world for this kind of job. Also, why the hell would you be interested in my relationship with Gray?" she said. I could already see the river ahead and I just told her we could talk again next time. She sighed and quickly parked.

When we got out, she opened the trunk and took out a box, inside of it were net guns and a large army machete. After giving me a net gun we quietly made our way to a boat nearby where the others were. It resembled something like a yacht only without the luxury feel to it.

"Late. The longer we let those sirens go, the more people die you know." Ashton whispered as we both climbed in. I just told him about our conversations and he just laughed about the part where Alethea blushed.

"They have been dating for more than a year already. Just so you get the idea they stared dating when Alethea was 22 or 23 and when Gray was 23 or 24. His parents went crazy with happiness when he brought his first girlfriend to them. They actually thought that he's gay, not that I have anything against it but his parents are a bit homophobic..." we started laughing and Lee had to hit us in the back of our head with his wooden sword just to shut us up. I suddenly caught a whiff of something.

"Sirens, they are close. Behind us!" I said as I tackled Eliza to the ground before the siren jumped out of the water to grab her. I heard a net gun go off and I saw Gray hauling it in the boat. The siren in the net thrashed and screamed. We all covered our ears except for Alethea who was busy with trying to stop it. We closed our eyes and after a second the commotion stopped. The net was destroyed and Alethea was in the water. She was swimming and Gray and Ashton was going to pull her in when she suddenly disappeared in the water. There were large splashes and the boat rocked.

"Alethea!" Eliza screamed when we saw her struggle. There was more commotion and she reached her hand up and screamed something.

"Machete!" I grabbed the machete and threw it in the water. She grabbed it and she disappeared into the water again. I jumped in knowing that my abilities as Dhamphir could be to our advantage. Two pairs of hands dragged me down. The sirens tried to drown me but I manage to fend them off. At least I could distract these sirens so they will not go after Alethea. I went above the water and they helped me into the boat, we saw a red color in the water and Alethea swam towards us with a bloody machete in one hand and went on board. She breathed as much air as her lungs could hold while Eliza tended to her wounds.

"What happened?" Gray whispered.

"I was wearing earphones so her voice didn't really control me. I just faked being controlled by it but I was planning to stab it with the machete. It saw the machete though and grabbed me into the water when it escaped." There was a long pause after each phrase and she just fell silent. She's conscious but silent. Gray ordered Eliza to take Alethea to the safest part of the boat while us guys started hauling in as many sirens as we could, pretty soon the others were already too afraid to attack us and left. The ones we got tried to scream but our ear plugs blocked the sounds they made.

"Let us go!" one of them yelled. All the sirens had a human upper half and a fish lower half. Their teeth were as sharp as razors and their eyes were ink black. Lee stepped on one of the sirens tail and was about to crush it when Gray spoke.

"You know who we work for right? The sirens and humans have an agreement and you broke it. There's a punishment for that." At once all the sirens started wailing.

"It was the vampires, they ordered us. They took some of our friends, we didn't have a choice. Please, we are doing this because the vampires had a plan and they threatened us to help them." Pretty soon all their words were lost in sobs and we couldn't understand what they say anymore. Gray sighed and Alethea walked towards him. For a minute, all of us wondered why she's out but she just said that she was fine already. She tiptoed and whispered something in Gray's ear.

"Alpha here. We need a clean-up." He dictated some coordinates and after a few minutes people in white were placing the sirens in tanks inside a container truck. We all got into our cars, except for me who rode with Ashton, and drove away.

"Where did you train by the way…the past two years?" Ashton said while Fall Out Boy played in his car.

"Random. They took me everywhere, Brazil, Russia, Germany, China." He nodded and stayed quiet during the whole trip back to the office.

"I'll just go to the coffee shop a few blocks away. Catch ya later!" He said as he dropped me off at Grant Enterprise. I walked into the office and checked my desk when I found a strange letter.

_Bloodlust will consume you. You are a monster and there's no denying it. _

_F. J_

I crumpled the letter and threw it into the trash bin. Either that was a nasty joke or my past is catching up to me.


	4. Chapter 4

**5 days later…**

The music was so loud that I could actually see the speakers shaking. People had cocktails in their hands and were dancing like crazy in the club.

"GRAY!" I shouted. He and Ashton bought a club last month and today they wanted to visit. The whole team was here except for Damon and Eliza who said that they prefer the silence of their own homes.

"YOU HAVING FUN?!" he yelled and I nodded as I dragged him to the dance floor. I got lost in the music and I just laughed as the party got more and more out of hand. Ashton dragged both of us into the private lounge and we saw that Lee was coming over with tons of drinks.

"Lee , there is one extra…" My accent wasn't too noticeable but during the talk with Damon, I forgot how to suppress it and ended up almost practically speaking French.

Ashton smiled and a girl with bouncy brown curls and blue eyes went inside the lounge. Her skin had a healthy tropic tan and her cheeks had small freckles on them.

"Ella! Oh my gosh! How have you been?" The girl smiled widely and sat beside Ashton and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Alethea! How about you tell me how you have been. I haven't seen you for the past few months and I was wondering where you are." She squeaked as she hugged me tightly. We talked about our days back in France when Ella was an exchange student. All of us were lost in our conversations until Gray's phone began to ring.

"Hello?... yeah… we have a guest… it's that bad?... alright…we'll be there." He sighed and leaned his head on my shoulder. He whispered things about work and told me that we should go.

We told Lee and Ashton but we told him that he could stay. In the end, me, Gray and Lee were speeding down the main road on our way to Grant. We were met by Eliza and Damon who quickly threw a file at us.

_January 21, 2014_

_7: 56 p.m_

_Lycans were spotted at Red Wood National Park. Campers were killed and we have reasons to believe that the Vampires have put them up to this._

_February 2, 2015_

_8:28 p.m_

It was blank and Eliza told us that the head sent it to us. It was only 7:15 so it means that we should head over to Red Wood and find the lycans. I walked to our weaponry room and picked out what we should use, that work was usually done by Ashton but we are not supposed to be suspicious so we allowed him to stay at the club. I picked out some battle axes, a couple of guns, throwing knives and swords that I'm sure the guys would use. Once we were ready we took a jeep and rode to Red Wood. Gray was silent while he was driving but me and Lee were busy with our conversation.

"guys… lycans are killed but having their spines removed… just remember it." Gray said as the jeep stopped at the park's entrance. All of us didn't bother being quiet since the lycans probably smelled us the moment we set foot near the park.

"Damon, you smell anything?" Eliza asked but Damon just shook his head to say no. He suddenly turned and his fangs were exposed.

"They are getting closer." Damon's voice was suddenly lower and his eyes turned red. I took out my axe while the other took swords. Guns are almost practically useless in defeating creatures unless you are a sharp shooter. Large wolf like creatures emerged and tried to attack me but I sliced its head with my axe. Soon the other lycans jumped out and started attacking. Every one of us just decapitated them but injuries can't be avoided. We got a few scratches here and there. Damon was different though, he literally tore through the lycans. They matched him in strength but he's a smart man, he keeps finding opening and tears their spines from them. We only removed the spines when we decapitated them so that we won't be bitten while removing it. A lycan pounced on Lee and he was on the ground using his sword to keep it from biting him. I held my axe and was about to hit the lycan when something took hold of my hand and threw me against some trees. In the corner of my eye, I could see Eliza shooting the lycan's head and managed to help Lee. I stood up and something pounced on my back. It was gone as soon as it appeared though because Damon shredded it to bits. I swung my axe on one that was going near Damon and I managed to cut off its arm. I continued to hit it over and over again until it was on the ground. The lycans keep showing up and we don't know how long we could keep this up.

"Alethea!" Gray screamed and I ducked and swung my axe at a lycan.

"How do we stop them? There's too many!" Eliza said while shooting lycans so that Lee could remove their spines.

"Alpha. I'll take care of it. Stay here." Damon ordered and he jumped into the trees. I heard some rustling behind me and I moved out of the way in time to dodge another one of the lycan's tricks.

"These things just won't give up." The voice was followed by some gunshots and it easily took down four of them. Ashton calmly reloaded his gun while we defended him. He took aim again and killed more. Gray and Lee immediately removed the spines to prevent the lycans from healing and I helped Eliza with defending Ashton. It took a few more minutes before the lycans stopped attacking and disappeared into the forest. We heard a howl and in a few minutes Damon came back with lots of scratches and a broken arm. Eliza, our team medic, wanted to help but she told him that he was fine and that he would heal in no time.

Gray called in clean-up, Eliza tended to Lee's injuries, Ashton was starting the car, I was loading our weapons into the jeep and Damon just rested in the back seat.

"So… Ashton… where'd you learn to shoot like that?" It was Damon that broke the awkward silence and I just continued my work while they talked.

"Dad owned a shooting range up north. It's in my skill set, I'm trained with tons of guns and it just so happens that my brother is an antique weapons collector so I was practically trained in modern and medieval weapons. It's not that special though, everyone has their own amazing skill sets." Everyone got in the car and I sat in the front seat. I noticed Eliza and Lee dozing off and Gray already getting sleepy. Damon and Ashton talked more about our skill sets and I just listened.

"What's the skill set of the others?"

"Eliza is a trained medic, her parents are both doctors and she was a volunteer for rescues and such. Lee's dad taught him martial arts and was also very fond of katanas, he's deadly with his bare hands but he's deadlier with a weapon. Alethea is a gymnast and her family's business is lumber… she handles axes so well… then Gray is a hunter so he's great with shooting too and he was also the president during college. "

The two of them just kept talking until we reached base. Everyone was going back to manage the club but I volunteered to stay for the report. Damon was invited to go with them but he said that he'd rather stay at home than to go clubbing with a broken arm.

It was already 10 when I finished the report and I was pretty tired. I walked to the office and found Damon crumpling a paper in his hands.

"Damon… what is that?" I approached him and he stiffened. He threw the paper into a trash bin and he stood up to leave. I grabbed his arm and demanded him to tell me what was on it. His fangs showed and my grip loosened. He left and made sure to make a loud noise using the door before leaving. When I was sure he was gone I picked up the letter from the trash bin and read it.

_We are always here. You can't stop us Damon. You won't be able to find us. Our plans will succeed and we won't stop until we're contented. Try to go against us and you forfeit your life. _

_-F.J_

What did I just read?


	5. Chapter 5

It's early morning and I chugged down a pint of pig's blood. I was enjoying my morning when there was a sudden buzz on my phone.

_We need your help. Mission, tonight._

_Received: 8: 12_

_Received from: Lee Thompson_

I grabbed my brown bomber jacket on my bed and my keys from my desk. I headed to my motorcycle and sped down the highway all the way to Grant. Once I arrived though I didn't see any of them but a secretary looking woman approached me.

"Sir Jones, Mr. Lee told me to tell you that they are in Kingsley's today."

Damn it.

I drove down the main street and entered a gym meant for the non-usual activities like indoor wall climbing, gymnastics, martial arts and the like. I walked around hoping to find them somewhere here.

"No fair. You were trained in this." I heard Ashton whine from somewhere and pretty soon I found him and Lee sword fighting.

"Finally, someone else to beat. Wanna have a go Damon?" Lee asked as he wiped off the sweat from his forehead. He threw me a wooden sword and told me to get ready.

"Sure but my skills are kinda rusty. I haven't been in a sword fight since 50 years ago when I was training." He just shrugged it off and after a few minutes both of us were locked in combat. I kept attacking but his defense was quite good. We could've been fighting for hours if Eliza didn't come to call us. We both just agreed that it was a draw… until further notice. Apparently based from her clothing, Eliza seemed to just finish boxing (the boxing gloves were a dead giveaway). We walked around then we reached a large space meant for gymnastics. We saw Alethea there doing hand stands and back flips that seemed way too high and complicated for me.

"Glad you made it." She said while wiping off beads of sweat from her forehead.

"I wouldn't miss working out especially since I have super strength and I might be easily defeated." Note the sarcasm. I followed this sentence with a flex and the guys laughed while Eliza and Alethea faked a gag.

"It's about time you got here…" Someone yelled from above. All of us looked up and saw Gray climbing up a large stone wall. He waved at us before descending and taking his place beside Alethea.

"So… you guys wanna hang in my pad? I got it remodeled so the spread is pretty cool" Ashton said as everyone headed to the showers. I just nodded while everyone else smiled and went in the showers. It took more than half an hour for all of them to finish and once they did they all quickly rushed to their respective vehicles and told me to follow.

You'd think that law enforcing agents would be obedient drivers, you're wrong. They literally raced through the streets and made a scene. We drove through the city and entered a luxurious building. We entered the elevator and Ashton waved some card at it then pressed the highest button.

"To the penthouse we go!" They cheered as it got higher and higher. I seriously lost track of time once we got out but damn. No wonder they loved this place. It was a luxury penthouse apartment covered with only the finest furniture money could buy.

"So we're breaking and entering?" I asked them. Ashton hit me at the back of the head at that.

"Bought this place last year. Spent a lot but it's worth it." We walked away to get some food when Eliza suddenly shouted.

"IT'S OUR ALBUM!" Eliza said as she danced around happily with a book.

"What's in there?"

I sat down on the huge couch and turned on the television while Eliza showed me the photos.

"These photos were all taken by surveillance drones. When we finish major missions we usually have time off. Here's a photo of me dancing tango in Buenos Aires…" The photo showed a beautiful blonde woman with a large grin on her face. She pointed to the next one and it showed a picture of Gray in hiking attire.

"That was taken 8 months ago in Creston, Canada. This one is Alethea in Rye, England." It showed Alethea with her hair in a waterfall braid and was incredibly focused on pouring batter in a muffin pan in some bakery there.

"I look like an idiot there…" Alethea said as she snatched the remote from me and changed the channel.

"I look like a freakin' moron in this one" Lee pointed to his photo with the label that says "Yass town, Australia."

I looked closely and saw that he looked so grumpy eating breakfast in some diner. We all laughed until I noticed Ashton's photo. When I pointed it out they all started laughing harder. The label says " Ping An Village, China" and it displayed Ashton running his hand through his hair with a flashy smile as if he actually knew that the surveillance drone was watching him walk down the street.

We all talked and ate when suddenly there was a call for Alethea.

"Hello. Yeah. We know. Okay. Wait what? Altitude? But… fine" she hang up and told us that something was up.

"apparently they have a clue that the vampires are up to something. It caused the werewolves and lycans some problems which lead to the incident the other day. They want us to check out an informant in Altitude."

"But that's the club in this building…" I said.

"Exactly. We have half an hour to prepare…Ashton do you still keep our old clothes?" Eliza said while she ran up the stairs unto the second floor.

"Sure do. It's the second room on the right."

"Okay!"

It took Eliza a couple of minutes before she came back with formal clothes. She handed each one of us with a small bag and told us to change. Everyone found a place where they would change and I just settled on changing in the living room while they were all away.

I was just fixing my tie when one by one they came out wearing fancy clothing. Personally I think that I didn't fit the part since I'm more of a leather-jacket-messy-hair kind of guy. The whole team though looks like they just stepped out of a magazine. They didn't need to style their hair or wear fancy accessories. They just seemed too perfect which is probably why vampires easily get fooled by these guys since they think they are one of their own. We all finished our preparation and said that we enter one by one or by pair as to not attract attention.

"So… who's the informant?" I aksed them.

"A vampire I almost killed some time last year. Ended up pretty bad. He hates me but would do anything for Eliza and Alethea. For the right price of course." Lee stated calmly. It's a really amazing for a guy to say that someone is probably planning to kill him but still be able to stay calm and talk as if it doesn't matter.

"I can't believe you are not scared of someone who wants you dead…"

"Lots of people do." He replied quickly and before I could say anything again, Ashton told us that it was time. We entered the elevator and got off on different floors. I was with Ashton, Gray and Alethea were obviously paired then Eliza and Lee. We were the second to enter and Ashton just played some games on his phone while waiting. The wait was rather uncomfortable but he soon told us that it was our turn.

We entered a floor and walked down a corridor leading to a large bar that was rented out for a special occasion. We showed our fake invites and entered the place. We soon found Gray and Alethea drinking wine and talking to some guests. They laughed along and we passed by to let them know that we are here. There was a glint in Gray's eyes and we knew that he noticed us.

It took another 30 minutes before Lee and Eliza walked in. At that moment Alethea and Gray grabbed a man's arms and dragged him away without anyone noticing. We stepped out along with them and headed to the fire exit. They both threw him on the ground and he tried to run away but I was faster and stronger. I threw him back to the other floor where the others were and he started to scramble to his feet but Lee stepped on his stomach.

"You again! I thought I would never see you again after that encounter in Calgary… and hello to you Alethea and Eliza, you are both as lovely as ever" Both of the girls rolled their eyes and Alethea took out a tazer made especially for paranormal creatures and aimed at him.

"Okay! Okay! You got me, now what do you want? And who's the rookie?"

"None of your business. Listen Louis, we need to know what the vamps are planning. We know that you know so spill it." Lee said as he pressed his foot more on the man. The guy just gasped for air and chuckled.

"Sorry, you can taze me all you want but my lips are sealed." His mouth curved into a grin and Alethea fired. Louis convulsed but Alethea stopped right away. She kept doing it until it got real boring. Tazing people can only entertain people for a number of times before it gets old.

We were getting real impatient and I swear Eliza was going to kill the guy the next time he grins. I was going to flip any minute now.

"That's it! I have had enough!"

I held him by the collar and my eyes turned into a frightening shade of red.

"Listen to me. You are now under my control so tell us what the vampires are planning"

I man was limp and his eyes were focused on mine. His mouth hung low as if he was entranced.

"Okay" he muttered.


	6. Chapter 6

We all decided to take only a few vehicles so that we won't attract too much attention. We decided to take one of Gray's cars and one of Eliza's cars. It took us more than an hour of preparation of our gear and go through the plan. I had to prepare for the worst case scenario all the time since Eliza can't handle all the first aid that the team might need, and if it comes to it I'll have to use something to help them, I will have to save them by any means possible. I polished my ax while I watched Gray and Lee talk about the plan while Eliza and Ashton argued about what to bring.

"Hey. Don't add too much stuff in that. You'll run out of room for your gear. We're hunting vampires, we need more weapons…"

"We are fighting vampires. We need medical supplies idiot!"

"Will you guys be quiet we're having a serious conversation here." Lee shouted at them. The arguments continued and my head was starting to hurt. I threw the ax and it stuck to the wall only mere inches away from cutting off Gray's face. It managed to shut everyone up and it very much pleased me.

"Do you mind? I'm having a massive headache minutes from slaughtering vampires so if you could just please tone it down a little, I would appreciate it." Gray sighed and told everyone to speak quietly. No one spoke the rest of the time but Damon walked in and broke the awkward silence in the room.

"The oh so brilliant Louis said that he doesn't know the real plan but he was pretty sure it involved some smuggling in one of the warehouses by the port… Alethea, you don't look alright…. Maybe you should sit this one down…" At this statement I suddenly felt empty. How could I rest when the people I treat as family go out and hunt blood thirsty creatures of the night?

"No. It's just a headache. I'll do just fine. The port huh? It's a fifteen minute drive so we better get going." I took my ax and headed out but before I could shut the door I heard Damon ask what the hell was going on while he wasn't there.

"Alethea, wait." Gray hurried over me carrying two bags. Oh right, I forgot mine.

"I know how you act when you're sick. I could tell that any minute now you're going to have a fever. You used it didn't you? I already told you that you can only do it when it's dangerous. Potions are not to be messed with. Listen, I'll let you go with us but the moment I sense something wrong I'm taking you home. Got me?" I nodded weakly. He's right though, magic isn't the most convenient tool especially since there's always a price to pay.

"We'll take my car so I can monitor your condition. I'm sure you can still fight but just to be safe you're staying by my side." He led me to his shining black car and opened the back seat door for me. I hesitated for a moment but I knew he wanted me to stay at the back so I could take a comfortable nap or at least something I could collapse on if the fever got to me. I looked over at the other car and saw Eliza, Lee and Ashton inside. Eliza waved at me from the driver's seat and gave an I-can't-believe-you're-going-to-battle-vampires-while-you're-sick smile. I just replied with the I-know-right look, she shook her head then started driving.

"Sorry I took a while." Damon sat in front and Gray started to drive. He fiddled with the sun visor and Gray already telling him to stop messing with his car. Damon was about to stop when a photo fell from the sun visor. Damon held it up and inspected it. It was a picture of me and Gray caught in mid laugh lying down on a checkered cloth. It was a surprise for me from the team during my 24th birthday. Lee and Ashton fought about who gets to eat what and Eliza took the picture of us when Gray fell on the grass where I was lying down. A sudden wave of nausea hit me and I was snapped back to reality. It took most of my strength just to stop myself from puking.

"You doing alright there?" Gray asked. We stopped a few blocks away from the warehouse and rubbed some Igazi leaves on us.

"What are these?" Damon said while he awkwardly rubbed it all over him.

"It's an herb found in the most rural places on the planet. Quiet rare and extremely hard to find but it results to this. Smell us" Eliza replied to him. Damon sniffed the air and his eyes widened a bit.

"I can't… I can't find our scents." He continued for a few minutes before Lee cleared his throat and Damon got the message.

"It's time to put the plan into action. We have an hour and a half before the sun rises. We'll use it to our advantage. Me and Lee will distract them, Eliza and Ashton will have to deal with the 'goods' the vampires are smuggling and Damon and Alethea… blow the roof off the place." I grinned and tossed the explosives from one hand to another. Gray grabbed it and handed the explosives to Damon, who was just watching the exchange quietly.

"Make sure she doesn't fall off those steel bars. Her fever might get worse by the minute. Watch her. If she dies I'll use your life as a sacrifice to bring her back. "Gray said rather emotionlessly. He could easily carry out the threat he gave. I'm not the only one who has magic running through my veins. He could convince my sister to use some forbidden ancient spell at the price of one's life, in this case, Damon. Every spell, every potion, every charm has a price to pay. Few are gifted with the ability to use magic and even fewer could make it take form. Vampires themselves resulted from magic and some other phenomenon that managed to spread widely.

"Fine." Damon said.


	7. Chapter 7

They gathered knives and other weapons and only few guns and when I asked why the replied with a new question.

"What costs more? Tons of silver bullets that you can't reuse or just other weapons that are thinly coated with silver? Yeah…. I thought so…."

The preparation was quick and the team separated. Me and Alethea ran for the side of the warehouse. We found a rusted ladder and tested it out. To be honest, she was pretty damn stealthy, my hearing was greater than average but I was having difficulties hearing her. It started pouring and her sound had been concealed by the rain. I climbed up and also made sure that I made as little sound as possible. I know that some vampires were gifted with better senses but I'm sure that they'll be confused because of the rain.

She motioned for me to climb faster and we got on the roof of the warehouse. She placed a finger over her mouth and whispered "quiet". She crawled on the roof and made holes in them. After that she just laid down and I did the same. We didn't mind the rain hitting our face. All we needed to do was wait for the signal. There were a few gunshots followed by some screams. In seconds vampires were shouting orders. In another few seconds there were more sounds of them screaming orders. Alethea stood up then threw a mini bomb nearby. She ran to me then dragged me farther when it exploded. It left a small crater on the roof and when we peeked inside a couple of vampires tried to get near us but some knives flew into their chests and Gray grabbed the ones that he didn't hit.

"Let's go."

I jumped onto a steel beam and Alethea followed. I balanced myself to the best that I can on the beams that weren't even a ruler's length in width. She didn't seem to have a problem though as she practically danced above the beams. Her little number was cut off when a vampire climbed up and reached the other end of the beam.

I wasn't adapt to fighting in a small space so I didn't have a choice but to go on offense. Another vampire got to the other end and he exposed his long fangs as he lunged towards Alethea. She dodged his attacks but his speed was amazing. I didn't have much time to watch though as the other vampire tried to hit me. I managed to duck at the last second and I took it to my advantage as I hit him hard. He was falling but I grabbed him and snapped his neck before finally letting the body fall. I watched as Alethea tried but failed to dodge some of the vampire's punches. She was almost at the edge when the vampire attacked again. This time though the vampire suddenly started to cough violently before he fell to the cold hard floor.

"How did you do that?"

She smiled mischievously then handed me a ball that wasn't even the size of a marble. When I held it in the palm of my hand I realized that in was in fact a miniature marble with one half covered in silver. It was enough to kill a weak vampire. So that was it. She threw one in the mouth of the vampire and he didn't realize that it would kill him until the last moment. The silver burned his esophagus then probably burned his lungs or heart.

"Where did you get these?" I asked while we attached some explosives to the ceiling.

"I help with the weapons development division whenever I have the time…. Get down!" she pulled me down just enough for me to miss an attack from behind and to not lose my balance. A woman that was more savage looking than the other we faced was standing right behind me. She punched again and I ducked in time. Her finger nails were claws and all of her teeth were sharp. She aimed for my throat and I didn't get away. She held me up as if she was inspecting me.

"Damphir. You're a disgrace. Born of a human and vampire, I should kill you but I have orders. Now be a good little bat and come with me."

I tried to break her arms but she was obviously an older and stronger vampire.

"And you girly. Don't even try to follow. I'm letting you live because the master would like to expect a challenge." The vampire smirked and tightened her hold on me. Surprisingly, Alethea wasn't stopping. She shifted a bit but her grip on me tightened again. My breathing was labored and Alethea still wouldn't stop moving.

"You're seriously letting your team mate die?" She said. At this point I started scratching her hands just to make her loosen her grip but it had absolutely useless.

"merde"

"What was that?" the vampire asked again. Alethea jumped towards us but the vampire just walked past her. She did the same thing and the vampire was easily bored with these games.

"And here I thought that The Association would actually have professionals."

Alethea's lips curled. "Oh they do." She whispered some words then jumped from the beam. The second seemed to last forever. I heard just a sound of fire flicking then I suddenly realized I was falling. Landing was an easy task though but for some reason the vampire landed with a thud. She screamed and clutched her legs in pain. I looked up and I saw that the part of the beam we were on was gone. Alethea was using her belt to hang to the remaining part of the beam and she climbed back up. I can't say that she wasn't wounded though. Her hands and arms had a few scratches here and there but other than that she seems fine. She laughed and proceeded to add explosives to the ceilings.

"She's all yours Damon!" She yelled and as almost lost her balance but luckily Lee made it there in time. He didn't seem alright though. He clung to the beam for dear life and right then and there I realized something important, Lee is afraid of heights.

"I'll kill you!" The vampire snarled. She tried to grab me but I noticed that her legs were smoking and turning into dust. I see, Alethea placed two shrapnel bombs around her and detonated it with fire. Those shrapnel were made of silver and since it was small it only hit the vampire's legs. It didn't hit me since I was practically dangling. The vampire yelled some more and some other vampires were closing in on me.

"It's done." Ashton yelled. I didn't know how to react so Gray grabbed me and we raced to the door. The vampires screamed about their food being gone. They were racing towards the door when there was a loud boom and the whole place collapsed. Luckily me and Gray got out before it happened. Alethea was probably behind it.

"All the people they kidnapped were inside a container and all of them seem to be unconscious. I checked them all out though and they look fine. I guess that we're lucky that the containers weren't inside the warehouse yet or we'll have some trouble getting them out. All we need to do now is send them to some hospitals and we're done." Eliza happily gave her report to Gray and Ashton just seems to be making jokes about the vampires that almost killed us.

"It seems that we're finished here then. Where's Lee and Alethea anyway?" Gray asked.

"We're over here" Lee yelled. He was carrying the passed out Alethea on his back but aside from the tired composure, he didn't seem to have anything else troubling him.

"I guess all that magic took its toll on her huh?"

"Now that you mentioned it… Why didn't she just blow up the place?" I asked them.

Gray simply replied with "She's only half witch. She's not that strong. She can't handle spells that are too strong in nature. Besides, magic is basically energy and she was already drained from the start."

I see…

"Come on. Other teams will fix this place. Our job is done." Ashton led me to their car since Lee will be taking my place in Gray's car.

I sat in the back and just stared out the window when there was a soft pounding on the door. It must be one of the humans that woke up. I opened only a part of the door but someone pulled it all the way.

"He's looking for you." A vampire said then he laughed his heart out…. literally. He was hit by a large shrapnel in the chest area and he was slowly turning to dust.


	8. Chapter 8

"Please fasten your seat belts. The plane is about to take off. Thank you." The almost robotic voice of the woman echoed through the cabin. The plane started to move and I simply stared out the window.

"You alright?" Gray asked. He held my hand and set down his pocket book. I squeezed his hand back and gave a reassuring smile. He was filled with relief and turned his attention back to his book. The whole team was given a two week break and I wanted to check my vineyard in Italy. Gray insisted on tagging along since his whole family had busy lives in New York plus the fact that he didn't want to see them for a while due to an incident from before. Both of us spent our time roaming the Le Marche countryside, well at least the area near the vineyard I own.

My mind was at peace. I managed to rest and give myself some time to recover. Just then the kid sitting in the back started to yell and cry. The little beast started to whine and kick my chair. It was followed by another kid who started to cry. I looked over at Gray and he was already asleep. This is going to be one hell of a long flight.

**…**

We finally arrived in London where we will join Damon and Eliza who apparently both said that they have some unfinished business to take care of. Eliza was going to visit her twin sister and Damon… well… we don't know what the hell he did here in London.

"Hey guys! How was your flight? "Eliza asked when she fetched us from the airport. She kept going on and on about how her sister keeps getting all the good stuff her parents give them. It was a long ride from the airport to the hotel. Gray was asleep again and Eliza decided to talk less and instead focus on driving.

"So… have you checked your e-mail? I bet your brother already sent some apologies… you have to go home someday… maybe not for yourself… but Rhea also needs a family that does not only consist of a sister… "

Oh that. Right. I ran away from home and took my sister with me. My older brother got mad at me for accepting this job and it's never been the same since then.

"I'll work on it… damn the flight was awful. Kid in the back kept on kicking my seat."

"Wait…. You weren't on business class?! You guys could've bought the all the business class seats and still have enough money left to travel to America then back here still in business class and that's just the travel budget … and for some reason you chose you chose to fly in the economic class. Why not place yourself in a box next time and just ship yourself here, yeah?"

Here it was. Sure we were rich but both of us still have to pay our loans on our cars and houses. Heck, Gray has to pay extra since he owns another house, which is incredibly huge, in Brooklyn and also the fact that he owns another car. The guy seriously has a thing for showing off his richness.

"Also, the Brit. Team asked when they should drop by for the collaboration mission. What should I say?"

I looked over at Gray. He was still asleep so I 'm the one who's going to call the shots as his proxy. Lee might be the assistant leader but my leadership skills got the team through difficult situations before.

"When will Lee and Ashton arrive?"

"Ashton is on his way here from Canada and will probably arrive in the afternoon. Lee is also the same but since he's coming from Japan he would arrive at night."

"Alright. Tell the Brits to schedule the meeting tomorrow."

We arrived at a huge hotel and Eliza told me that she booked three rooms with two bedrooms and a receiving room each. Gray and Lee will stay together then Ashton and Damon and finally me and Eliza.

"Hey" Damon greeted as when we visited his room.

"So… Who exactly are the members of the British Team?"

Eliza stiffened at Damon's question. There has been some bad blood between the Alpha team of the Americans and the Alpha team of the British. One collaboration mission in particular almost cost everyone their jobs. I never really had a fight with any of them, heck, we actually get along pretty well but I can't say the same for the others though.

"They are just a bunch of pricks." This was the least offensive sentence that Eliza ever used to describe them. I'm actually amazed she managed to hold in all her anger.

"I'm going to make a call. I'll just catch you guys later. The topic is something I want to avoid." Gray left the room and Eliza's mood was still sour. I really need to leave before trouble starts brewing. I went out and when I was about to close the door I heard the sentence that could mean a disaster.

"Hey Damon. Help me form a plan to pelt their team with eggs…"

What's going on in Eliza's mind, I will never know. I told Gray that I was going for a walk and headed out. It was already midafternoon and I only had to kill time until evening. I wasn't familiar with the city but I continued walking anyway. There was really nothing special going on. I took a bus not knowing where it will go. It drove around the town and it actually passed by the hotel. I saw Ashton going up the steps and he was greeted by the gang. Apparently Eliza was serious about hitting the other team with eggs because I saw Damon carrying two egg trays. I sighed and spent the whole ride in silence.

It was finally dark and I got off at some park. It was quiet and the path was lined with trees. Everyone was busy in their own homes or out in town. I didn't expect anyone to be here and I was right. I kept walking when I passed by a bench occupied by one man.

"I didn't expect to see lil Ali here." I heard a perfect baritone voice say and I turned my attention to the man sitting on the bench. His dirty blonde hair was messy, his eyes were icy blue, and he was a rather tall person and the feature that I know so well, his scar that runs from the side of his forehead, through his right eye down to his jaw, Johann, the weaponry expert of the British Alpha Team.

"I see you still have that habit of smoking cigars in quiet places Johann."

"I love the nights when it's so quiet I hear my cigar burn besides, I'm only continuing Rick's habit. So excited about tomorrow? We haven't been on a mission together since months ago when we all screwed up."

He was right. We all screwed up during one mission and we ended up losing so many vampires and the life of one of the greatest agents in the Association.

"Can't say I'm excited since you're all considering killing each other."

He chuckled and offered the seat beside him. I sat down and he had a small talk mostly just about what happened when we went back to our respective countries. We talked until it was finally midnight.

"Well I can see that you're tired. My motorcycle is parked nearby; I'll take you to the hotel your team is staying in."

Johann was always a kind person. He stood as the father figure of the British Alpha since he's the current oldest since he's 27.

"Sure."

It was already midnight but the busy city of London still wasn't asleep. We walked through a street with bright lights and some drunken college students. This felt like a scene straight from a movie. Johann's motorcycle was something straight out from a 50's movie. He called out to me and drove me back safely to the hotel. I looked for my room key in my bag and when I turned to thank him, he was already gone. I just took note of thanking him and I went inside. I quietly opened the door to the room since Eliza might wake up. I'm going to have trouble explaining why I'm late but for now all that matters is that I need some sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

"Where have you been?! And why did you get rid of the eggs? I mean come on, Alethea." Apparently a wall isn't enough to protect our ears from Eliza's yells. Her voice boomed through the entire room.

Ashton couldn't fall asleep anymore and decided that it a great idea to keep me awake too. He kept hitting me with a pillow until Lee and Gray came in telling us to get ready. Lee was so tired of the gags that he took Ashton's pillow and hit him with it. That thing could've been made of metal because when Lee hit Ashton, he fell to the ground. After that the rest of the morning was pretty ordinary. It went by in a blur and soon a car picked us up and drove to a building that you could've missed if you weren't looking for it since it looks just like all the other buildings. The inside was so different from what you'd expect. It was like walking into an office building in New York. Everything was modern and clean. The white walls were spotless and the people wore office clothing. There was a dull feel to it but overall it was okay.

"Welcome Alethea and Damon. We are very excited to work with you for this mission."

A short woman greeted us. She had long wavy light purple hair and her attire reminds me of hippies. There were two other women and a man with her. The man was tall and looked like he had his fair share of struggles, one of the women had long fiery red hair and a look of utter disapproval aimed at the team and the other had short brown hair and looked quite shy.

"My name is Freya, I am from Norway, I am the leader of Team British Alpha. My friend here is Johann, he is from Germany, and he's our weapon specialist. This is our medic Rhona from Scotland." She pulled her red head friend closer and the woman smiled sheepishly and waved. "This one is Yvonne from Denmark. Don't mess with her. She's feisty" Yvonne shook my hand and I swear she was trying to crush it.

"I guess you already know that I'm Damon. It's a pleasure to meet you all." I talked with me natural British accent and Freya giggled.

"I love a man with an accent." I looked over to Alethea and she gave me a thumb up, the rest of the team though, had disapproving looks on their faces. Gray cleared his throat and pulled me close.

"We need to talk." The frown was evident on Alethea's features but I guess Gray hated that team more than he valued her happiness. He whispered dangerously.

"Don't be so close to them. When one of their team members died they placed the blame on us.. The team was this close to being broken up and their team spent their whole time with us making our lives miserable. They thought it was good payback to put our lives in danger intentionally by trying to feed us to vampires. Our mission went haywire and we all ended up in the OR. Now behave."

He turned his attention to Freya. "Let's just get this over with."

Freya locked her hand with Alethea and walked away. Her team followed. Alethea looked back at but wouldn't look any of us in the eye and she turned away quickly. Our team silently followed after a few minutes. I can feel the weight of the world pressing on them. Gray kept calm when he saw Johann have a serious conversation with Alethea. I tried to listen too but all I got were bits and pieces.

"You should… I mean… we'd make a great team… why not?... Freya would love it… a new team member… Alethea of the British Alpha…" I coughed and the team looked at me.

"What did you hear?" Ashton asked. It seems the whole team was trying their best at eavesdropping.

"They are asking her to join their team." Everyone fell silent. I could just see Gray's heart breaking in half.

"Well… we can't stop her. This isn't the first time they made that offer to her. Isn't that right, Gray?" Lee stressed the words and Eliza hit him but the sentence already took effect on everyone especially Gray.

"Let's talk about this when the mission is finished." We all entered a conference room. British Alpha was sitting at the other side of the table and Alethea was sitting in the middle while an old woman was waiting for us to sit to give her speech. She was easily in her fifties, with her snow white hair and wrinkled face. She cleared her throat and we all sat down quickly.

"Your mission is to kill just one vampire. We don't know his face but he always wears a strange cloak. He also attends the cult meeting regularly. Apparently that cult only consisted of ten vampires two years ago but it seems that their numbers are increasing, what's even worse is that they turn their human followers into vampires. Thanks to that they now have over 400 vampires. They will be easy to handle if it weren't for their leader. They are holding a meeting tonight and tomorrow evening but there are some reports that he doesn't attend the next day. You are the best of the best in this line of work so we're assigning this to you. I know about your petty fights and I trust that this will not happen again. You are dismissed."

We were given coordinates, instructions and supplies. Johann and Ashton then picked out the weapons from the arsenal. It took an hour for them to choose which of the many deadly weapons the teams might need. After sixty long minutes some people directed us to a car and told us that each team has one.

"Gray, don't let hate get the better of you. Please stop being so childish." Alethea broke the wall of awkward silence. He didn't reply, he didn't even look, and he kept doing his task of loading our stuff into the car.

"Hey Ali! The car is only for five people. Come on we still have space left for you!" Johann yelled like only his team and Alethea were here. Our team just waited for Gray's reaction and we weren't disappointed.

"Why don't you just join their team? You always said you wanted to live close to home didn't you? They always ask you anyway. Besides I'm sure you're really close with them. I can still remember you staying up late just to talk to them anyway. Just go." Well damn. This guy is just begging to lose a girlfriend. Alethea didn't reply. She just took her bag and left. Ashton whistled and I could see that he didn't know when it was or wasn't appropriate to do that.

"Good luck on your mission and we hope for the best" The voice of the woman echoed through the room and the British Alpha started their car and left. Lee sat in the driver's seat and I called shotgun. He started to drive and it was taking longer than expected. The cult meeting was in some forest outside the city and damn was it far.

"Why is it that everything I do and say is wrong? Ashton, did you ever have a problem like this with Ella?" Gray started.

Ashton looked nervous then he suddenly pointed out the window.

"Hey look a deer!"

Gray sighed. "Eliza?"

Her eyes widened and I can see panic set inside of her.

"Oh my gosh! It is a deer!" Gray hit them both at the back of the heads but I'm guessing he's really bothered by this.

He looked at Lee and before he could say a word he already had an answer.

"Don't talk to me. I'm driving."

Gray looked at me and was practically pleading for me to answer.

"None of us have creature-hunting-magic-user-extreme-driver girlfriends or boyfriends so I think you gotta figure this out on your own. Also between you and me getting a girlfriend when you're more than a hundred years old and your sole purpose in life is to kill vampires, is extremely hard. Better not ask me for advice." He looked defeated and Aston and Eliza started to giggle while Lee rolled his eyes. It got Gray to shut up for the rest of the trip.

It was night when we came to a stop at a large clearing in some forest. It led to some cliffs with an astounding view. Everyone got out of their cars and took out some supplies. Johann and Ashton were setting up their Cheytac M200. As much as I wanted to help, I don't know how to handle such a dangerous gun.

"Listen, we all have to go in. They will only serve as backup. Everyone will go in pairs. I've based the team on who goes best with who. Yvonne and Rhona, Eliza and Lee… and you'll probably hate me but Damon will go with Alethea. We are the leaders Gray, we should stick together, being the best in our team." There was a long pause and everyone looked at Gray. He just shrugged then walked away.

"I guess it's settled. We'll attack in an hour."

"Gray…" Alethea tried to call out to him but it was useless. He walked off carrying a rather large sword and headed for the car. Gray….. You owe me for what I'm about to do.

"Alethea, it might not seem like it but he's just thinking of you. Trust me, he's just jealous but deep inside he's willing to work things out. He's probably just being moody. Give it some time alright?" She muttered silent thanks then handed me my sword that she says I needed. She gave me a long sword with silver edges. Tonight, I get to kill as much as I want.


	10. Chapter 10

We hid our weapons in a bag. It wasn't uncommon for new recruits to bring lots of items considering the fact that the meeting place was literally in the middle of nowhere. The clothes we wore were the plainest we could get. Most of us just wore simple shirts, jeans, plain jacket and some of us wore sneakers except for the others who chose to wear other types of footwear they were comfortable with (Eliza…heels are not good for running away). There were a lot more humans than we expected and with the numbers of the cult increasing, we can't fail this mission, if we did, all hell will be released. They will be converted and the numbers of vampires will increase immensely. I can already imagine the vampires eating up the humans that defy them. The human race would be cattle for them.

I looked up the cliff where all our other things were along with our two snipers Johann and Ashton. Damon squeezed my arm in a reassuring way. We were in a rather large clearing and most of the members weren't here. The only people who attended were us, some recruits, some guards and the leader of this cult. It was dark so I couldn't see very well. There was a buzzing and my earpiece became noisy with static but it soon cleared up.

"_This is Rhona. I have a visual on the target. Freya, are the teams ready?"_

"_Affirmative. Remember, just cause a distraction then disappear. Johann and Ashton will try to take down the leader. If they fail me and Gray will go after them. We might need assistance so we need all of you to be alert. Am I clear?"_

The buzzing sound was gone and we waited for the signal. Ashton and Johann were near the cliffs and Rhona and Yvonne were in charge of monitoring our movements from afar. Everyone else was to make sure to leave a bloody trail of Vampire meat where ever they go, sounds pretty easy enough.

There was a buzzing sound in our earpiece and Yvonne started counting.

3

2

1

Go!

Both me and Damian took one down and I looked around to see Eliza locked in hand to hand combat while Lee was on his defenses. I checked the platform where the leader of the vampires was and I found his bloody body on the floor but the guards didn't seem to mind. Then it clicked. That man was only a decoy. The head of the vampires was never really here.

I felt a sharp pain on my face and it took another second for my mind to register the fact that I was just punched. My lip was wounded and bleeding but I just wiped it off and took down the vampire easily. Damian lunged at another vampire and they both hit each other with the same force. One of those punches could possibly send you flying. We needed to leave or this will end up badly.

"Eliza!" Damian screamed when she was thrown about by a bulky vampire. Damian was furious and he charged the bulky vampire and tore off his head. It was gruesome. I almost lost my dinner from watching the scene. Killing strange creatures was one thing but humanoid creatures were the kind I avoid killing in such a way.

Eliza groaned and cradled her left arm. There was no blood but it was twisted in a strange way. I looked away and Damian helped her up. Lee joined us later after killing another vampire. Leaving was no longer an option. Everyone else had already left and the minutes we lost to killing those vampires cost us our escape time. Vampires gathered around us. They circled around us and they used their numbers to take the four of us down. We all knew that fighting was useless. I threw my hands into the air and Lee did the same. Damian scowled but he followed our gesture. He muttered curses under his breathe while they led us deeper in the forest.

They led us into a two-story building that looked like it was about to crumble at any minute. The windows were shattered and the walls were covered in moss. They shoved us roughly into a small room and had two guards at the door. They shot Damian with a dart that caused his entire lower region to be paralyzed while they hit me and Lee on the head hoping to knock us out but it only led us to have a bleeding wound. The guards left knowing that we wouldn't leave without alerting the whole building. I checked Eliza's arm and noticed that it was a simple shoulder dislocation but I don't know how to handle it and so does Lee. We just simply sat together and told stories. I know that the other teams will go after us in a while so all we had to do was kill time.

"So… what was your course in college Lee?"

Damian was obviously irritated with the idea of just simply waiting but he started the conversation anyway. Lee just simply whispered "architecture".

I rolled my eyes at the boring conversation. All they needed to talk about was the weather and I'd probably die of boredom. Lee just continued telling what everyone was studying back during the college days.

"Eliza was studying to be a nurse, Ashton was into chemical engineering, Alethea was studying Culinary and if I'm right… Gray was studying to be a pilot."

Damian started to laugh when he tried to imagine Gray flying a plane. After that it was quiet again except for Damian and Eliza who started talking about London. I swear these two were going to end up together one day.

"So… I see you're enjoying your stay at the Grand Middle of Nowhere Hotel. Would you like to stay a bit longer?" There was a chilling voice behind us. It was a voice I instantly recognized, Claud, the reconnaissance agent, a vampire more than 300 years old and one of the first non-human members of the Association. He was tall and fit with dark skin and blood red eyes.

"I knocked out a couple of vampires but not all of them so you still need to be careful. The other teams are waiting at points 7 &amp;9\. The path is already cleared so you better get a move on." We followed his instructions and started walking. Lee dragged Damian and I assisted Eliza. True to his words, the vampires we passed through were already down and we passed with ease. There were no other guards so my guess is that they thought that they could stop us with just ten guards or so. The drug was starting to wear off so Damian volunteered to carry Eliza and told us to run as fast as we can.

The run took us about 2 hours before we arrived at another clearing. I was already having trouble breathing and Lee wasn't doing any better. The heat was causing me to sweat excessively and the dehydration was setting in among the four of us. I started to hear a buzzing in my ear.

"_Are you there?"_

Gray's voice was in a panic and was somehow desperate.

"_Yeah…" _I breathed out. A small team of people gathered around us. They wore clothes fit for the special forces of any country. The small red capital A written in a strange font was the only giveaway that they worked for us. They gave us water, which I chugged down happily, and escorted us to a van that led to an airport where a jet was arranged to pick us up. Minutes upon arriving, the jet landed and I allowed the rest to go first. Once they were all I followed and went straight to the cockpit where I know Gray will be in. I was disappointed to only find normal pilots and even more disappointed to know that the other teams didn't pick us up. Some medics treated our injuries while we were on our way back.

It was a short flight but the rest we got was enough. We were required to be quarantined for a whole day in order to find out if we were turned to vampires or such. It was agony. Spending an entire day in a white padded room makes me want to rip my hair out. Luckily I passed out from exhaustion so the day went by in a blur.

"If you don't wake up I'll tell your brother that you want to be picked up…" The threat woke me up with a jolt and Eliza laughed. Going back home to France… scared me but I have to face my fears one day… but not today… maybe.

"What time is it?"

"About twenty minutes past ten… The others are already waiting in a pub so you better get ready for a night out in town." I shooed her off and went straight for the hotel we were staying in. I packed my things and took a cab to the pub.

The moment I entered I heard the laughs and cries of drunk men and then there was the sound of a loud conversation coming from the table our teams were in. There wasn't any space for me on the table. My team sat on one side and the Brits were sitting on the other. They weren't arguing but they weren't exactly having a steady conversation.

I sat down on a different table and watched them. My flight was leaving in a few hours but I still have an hour to spare here.

"How's that injury?" Johann sat across from me. He held in his hand a large mug filled with a strong drink. I looked again at the table and noticed that Eliza was tipsy, Rhona was drunk and to say that Ashton was smashed was an understatement. All of them had a same drink. Lee and Yvonne didn't drink, Damian, Johann and Gray had high tolerance and Freya was just playing with her mug. I faced Johann again and gave my reply.

"I'm alright." A drink arrived for me and I just drank to avoid conversations. Johann seemed to notice my discomfort and simply drank with me.

Gray was walking over with a face of shame. He felt bad for what was happening in our relationship… we've been having arguments lately… even before we arrived in London. He stood in front of me and was at an obvious loss of words. I didn't have time for this so I just muttered goodbye to everyone and took a cab straight to the airport.


	11. Chapter 11

There was a knock on my door and I hurried to open it. Eliza screamed and covered her eyes. Maybe I should've put on other clothes first… because greeting people in your boxers is awkward. She headed for the dining room and I ran as fast as I can back to my room to get myself ready.

"That was one hell of a sight." Eliza laughed while I went down the stairs.

"Thanks. I have to admit though; I am not used to greeting people in my underwear." I sat down at the table and Eliza brought out the takeout she bought. They were just simple fast food from In-N-Out burgers but it was still good. We just mostly talked and laughed but our conversation has gotten quite serious.

"Have you guys heard from Alethea yet? She's been gone for two weeks already. She didn't even tell her sister where she went, which is incredibly strange."

Eliza sipped some water before answering.

"To tell you the truth, I know where she is but you can never ever tell the others got me?"

I nodded my head and she sighed.

"She's in her hometown, Annecy. You see… before she joined the Association, her father and older brother hated the idea of her joining since her mom died in the line of service…"

Alethea's mom was a member?!

"She devised a plan to run away but her younger sister followed. That leads us to where we are. She probably went back to fix her relationship with her family. I never expected her to take this long though." We finished our meal in silence and we both headed out to go to the mansion.

She told me that she, Lee and Gray owns the house. Apparently Lee designed it and based it on modern Spanish colonial architecture. The luxury home even had a pool and a gaming room. She described the place with its arches, wrought iron décor, balconies and even a small courtyard. We drove all the way to the west end of the city where the mansion was located. People watched as my motorcycle entered the gates.

Eliza took off her helmet in a hurry and dragged me around the house to give me tour. She showed me the large kitchen and dining room. They even had a grand staircase that reminded me of the palaces I used to visit when I was younger. Every room was grand and was a piece of art.

We arrived at the west wing and Eliza peeked into a room.

"What's in there?"

"Gray…"

I threw her a questioning look and she just opened the door wider. Gray looked shocking. We both entered and I noticed that he hasn't shaved for maybe four days. He was asleep but his hand held onto a laptop with some airplane flight patterns, surveillance and even the entire database of a few airports.

"He's been awake for two days straight. He's trying to find Alethea. He hacked into her devices and tried to trace which flight or train she used, from there he monitored every airport or station. It's useless though so I drugged his food so that he can get some rest. If Alethea wanted to go off grid… there's no finding her."

We left the room and went to the training room to find Lee. There we found him wielding a sword and swinging away at some targets. He asked for a round with me and Eliza just encouragingly pushed me on. It was an hour before we finished the sword fight with me being the winner. Lee just waved it off and said that his skills were getting rusty again. We were having some drinks when Ashton arrived with a beautiful girl that he introduced as his girlfriend, Ella. Damn, how did he score a hot Hawaiian woman?

"Is there any word on Alethea?"

"Still none…"

Ashton and Eliza kept their conversation in a whisper knowing that a civilian might hear it. Ella walked around the courtyard while waiting for the two to finish their conversation. I tried to eavesdrop again but I couldn't hear much anymore.

Ashton called his girlfriend and they both left saying that they were headed for the beach. We waved goodbye as their car left the premises. We heard a clatter upstairs and it was followed by Gray running down the stairs.

"I found her. She's in the city. She just arrived on a bus. Also, Eliza, don't add things to my food again. Ever!"

He went straight for the garage and we heard the unmistakable sound of an engine. We got into our cars and followed him. The drive was longer than expected. We were heading for the outer parts of the city and into the woods that surrounded it. We made a few turns and ended up in front of a large iron gate that opened automatically. The driveway was wide and we parked out cars just outside the house.

It was a mansion made to look like a log cabin and I have to admit it was awesome. We walked towards the door and it opened even before we could knock.

"Hey guys…" A girl that looked like a copy of Alethea but with blue hair highlights answered the door. She was shorter than Alethea but she was almost an exact copy.

"Rhea…. Who's at the door?" Alethea pushed past her sister and stared at us. She sighed and waved for us to come in. We were greeted by a bulky man in his late 20's. His hair was dirty blonde and his eyes were green like emeralds. He whispered a few French words and Alethea replied with a few words.

"This is my older brother, Leon. Don't worry he won't be staying long. He's just here to pick Rhea up."

He spoke again and Alethea just nodded and hugged him. Her brother hugged her back and shook our hands. He carried a large bag over his shoulder and ushered Rhea on but she ran to Alethea and hugged her. She whispered some words and handed Alethea a bottle necklace with a label that says "sang de la vie". Rhea left and Alethea sunk into the sofa.

"How am I supposed to say this….I'm moving to London next month. I volunteered to be a temporary member while they look for someone to join their team. I'm sorry I didn't tell you right away but I have been busy. " She looked up at me and gave a sorrowful look.

"Damon, I looked into the last case my mom ever handled. It's about your dad." She handed me a file that was on the coffee table and walked away while telling us that we should leave. Gray tried to reach out to her but stopped midway since Alethea had already disappeared into her room. I stared at the file and wished that whatever was inside wouldn't be too bad.


	12. Chapter 12

We were hiding in the dark. Johann placed his finger over his lips and we listened carefully. There was some shuffling of footsteps, getting ever closer. Beads of sweat started to form on my forehead. I looked at the other side of the room and saw Rhona crouching down low. There were a couple more footsteps and judging from the sound, they were in the other room. Johann quietly grabbed a silver knife and held it close to him. There was a sudden silence that overcame us. We waited for a while until the seconds turned to minutes. Yvonne let out a sigh of relief and there was a sudden bang and the metal door skidded on the floor. I was knocked down and I felt the wind get knocked out of me. I inhaled sharply and swung my fist at the vampire. My fist made contact with its face and I managed to knock it down. Johann pulled out a gun and fired. He was fighting though while shooting but he still managed to have a perfect head shot of the vampires around him.

"You guys get into the further chambers, we'll distract them" Freya ordered us and me, Johann and Rhona raced through the corridors as fast as we could. The fluorescent lights flickered on and off in an eerie way as if to prepare us for the events that will follow. We soon reached an intersection where there were no lights and no signs to guide us. We tried to catch our breaths while Rhona tried to spot anything that could lead us to our destination.

"Over… here" she wheezed out but before we could even look at what she found Johann was already dragging both of us. We heard the faint sound of footsteps chasing after us and we ran even faster. The only thing that led us was the red emergency lights scattered around. We knew we were no closer to a door but we kept going anyway. In our rush I actually slipped and managed to land face first into the strange liquid that covered the floor. It took my mind a few seconds before I registered the fact that I slipped on some blood. I stood up as quickly as I could and hurried as I chased Johann and Rhona.

We finally arrived at a large metal door. It was so heavy that it needed three of us to pull it. It opened up to a large room filled with cages and inside of those cages were Category 5 vampires. These were the vampires who were too far gone. They were losing their human traits and were slowly turning into horrifying creatures of the dark. Their teeth were sharp, their eyes pure red, their tongues long and lashing out, their nails so pointed that it can tear skin and their skin were as pale as death. It was a sight that sent chills up my spine and judging from the amount of blood and small pieces of meat scattered they were just fed.

"This Johann of Alpha, we have a situation. We have more than a dozen category 5 in here and we are surrounded. We request for immediate assistance." For a while there was only static but soon there was a reply but because of the noise the vampires were making, we couldn't make out the words. We didn't dare go near the cages for we fear that the vampires might reach out and take a bite of our hands. We waited for a while but we held on to our weapons. We weren't going to take chances. We heard some yells followed by the sound of bullets. The three of us dropped to the ground and continued to listen to the chaos that was ensuing on the other side of the door.

Men and women in blood stained white uniforms entered and disposed of the Category 5 vampires in the cages. They helped the three of us up and asked us if we were injured. They checked every nook and cranny of the place and made sure that there were no vampire survivors. 

* * *

"Well that went well, don't you agree?" Freya combed her now electric blue hair on our way to the airport. We were allowed to go on a break for a few days and they have already made plans for where they are going. Freya said that she was going to Russia, which by the way I should point out is completely suspicious, Johann was headed back to Germany to spend some time with his fiancée, Rhona was headed to Africa, again, incredibly suspicious, and finally Yvonne was going to Australia with some friends. I have decided to fly back to my family in France.

"It sucks. Good thing that they came in time though. We were horribly outnumbered. I bet the espionage crew is being grilled by the Association." Johann kept the conversation going until we arrived. To be honest with you the rest of my travel was completely boring. I just told them my goodbyes, hopped on a plane, got in a train and walked to the hill that overlooked the lake and made a few stops on the way too. The house was a simple cottage with an amazing view of the city. I walked to the front steps and knocked. There was some shuffling on the other side of the door and I finally came face to face with my dad.

"Hey dad. How's it going?"

His eyes had the same tired look in it that it always had ever since mom died. He smiled widely and hugged me. He might be old but his days as a lumberjack had obviously taken effect on his strength, he was still strong and healthy. His messy dirty blonde hair was a bit long and so was his beard. He stood as tall as a giant and the only thing we resembled was our eye color. He welcomed me warmly and invited me inside.

"Ali, you told me you'd visit in a week. It took you a month. You're late." Rhea hugged me tightly and cried on my shoulders.

"Sorry. I was busy running around Europe. You know, the usual saving the world stuff." She giggled and handed me some food but I declined her offer and told them that I was going somewhere for a while. They seem to understand that what I meant was I was going to visit mom. Dad gave his consent and I started walking again.

I enjoyed my time in the city. It has already been a month since I've been here but nothing much has changed. I entered the small gate that led to the cemetery. The graves were all the same until I reached an area where angels with harps and trumpets guarded the tombstones. I instantly recognized one and went over to offer some blue hydrangeas. I sat on the grass and just stared at the name engraved on the cross shaped tombstone.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" Gray's voice sent a tingling sensation to my spine. I stood up as quick as I can and removed the dirt from my high waist bubble skirt and I fixed my gypsy top. I fiddled with my necklace at the loss of words. He sighed and stepped closer.

"You haven't been calling us. We were worried you know. You suddenly left without telling any of us. I tried to call you more than a hundred times. Why didn't you call back?" I bit my lip and held back the tears. I never want to see Damon's face again. It was too much.

"I… I…"

"You what?"

"Damon."

He raised an eyebrow and stared at me.

"His dad. My mom. It's so fucked up"

"Tell me please." He held my hand and I bit my lip so hard I tasted the blood that got into my mouth.

"My mom failed a mission. It's about Damon's father."

"His disappearance?"

"No, his appearance."

He pulled me close and brushed my hair with his free hand.

"Damon's dad showed up years ago. He was a suspect in many murder cases and mom was put in charge of it. She was hot on his trail but Damon's dad ambushed her and the team. There were no survivors. What's worse is that he even put her mutilated body on display in front of the Association headquarters. How could he do that to the woman I loved and respected? I looked up to her as my hero but he just ripped her apart like some doll. I didn't know what to do. They looked so alike that when I see Damon I feel like my heart was being torn out from my body. He is even the cult leader we were looking for. Sixteen years and I still couldn't bring my mom's killer to justice. I couldn't handle it… so I left."

The tears poured freely from my eyes and Gray held me tighter. He tried to comfort me but those words were lost to my sobs. That man, he is the reason why I lost my mother. He is the reason why I can't look my friend in the eye. He deserved something even worse than death but I know that Damon would have his doubts.

"Don't worry. I didn't come here all to ask you about leaving. I came here to get you back. You want to kill him right? Well, today is your lucky day. The cult leader resurfaced in America. I swear on your mother's grave that no matter what happens, we'll get him this time so stop crying my love."

I leaned into his chest and he just held me. I don't know how long we stayed like that but when I pulled back my legs were already stiff from standing too long.

"I also came here to meet your parents though." I was suddenly taken aback by what he said. My parents? Seriously?

"Why?"

"Well… we've been dating for two years and your dad still don't know that you and I are dating. Besides the man should at least know that his daughter is not a vir-"

"Get your ass back to your 'glorious' country already will you?" We both laughed and I felt some weight being lifted off my chest. Gray really knows how to make me smile. He's not the best guy out there but he's still my idiot.

"I love you, idiot."

"Right back at you"


	13. Chapter 13

"You are such a badass! You seriously walked in there and said 'I'm the guy fucking your daughter. Nice to meet you'?" Ashton did a bad impersonation of Gray and we all laughed. Gray was not angry about it, in fact he was even laughing along which shows that his mood really did change the moment he and Alethea had stepped on the same soil.

"The moment I said that though, Rhea was shocked, her brother wanted to kill me and her dad suddenly turned into the greatest pro-wrestler in the world, it was a miracle that I came out alive."

Everyone started to laugh again and I swore I heard Eliza snort. To the people around us we might seem like a group of friends just hanging out in a normal café but in reality we are a group of professional dark creature hunters who save the world on a regular basis. We are like the ghost busters on steroids who are hunting down other monsters aside from ghosts.

"Where's Alethea anyway?" I had to ask them since even though she had already come back, she still didn't show herself to us.

"She's been busy fixing her house. She is also fixing the documents for her transfer to our team again." He replied coolly. For a while no one spoke a word and I was worried that I killed the conversation. Luckily Eliza started to ask more questions about our lives.

"So…Ashton… when are you and Ella going to get married?" Ashton started to cough and he blushed an incredible shade of red.

"Yeah, when?" Another voice interjected. We all turned to see Alethea standing beside our booth and she sat down beside Gray. Ashton became extremely nervous considering the fact that he was dating his best friend's best friend. He was about to answer but all our phones simultaneously rang. We all knew it was a call from the Association. We quickly took our items and I can see that Ashton had just dodged a bullet.

"Lee you drive." Gray threw the keys in the air and Lee had no trouble catching it. I saw Alethea get into the same car as them so I just rode with Ashton and Eliza.

The drive was short and we arrived at the company building. We were greeted by a lot of formal-attire-no-funny-business secretaries who shoved papers into our hands. All of which have a strange symbol on it. A man in a blue suit greeted us and told us that all those papers were threats from the cult we were hunting down. I found out a month ago that Alethea's mom was killed sixteen years ago by my own father. I knew that my dad got into some trouble but I never knew why he would be like this. So many questions rang in my head but I know that voicing them out would lead to nowhere. I simply followed my team mates to a room and checked the threats to see if we can match it to any person in the Association database. We sat in front of the computer for hours but our search has turned out empty. No finger prints, no matching handwriting, no hair samples, no anything. It was finally sun down when Gray told us that the superiors were allowing us to leave. Everyone was suddenly so high in spirit the moment he said that. Everyone was already making plans for what they were going to do tonight. Eliza was going to watch a movie at home, Lee was planning to lock himself in his room to play videogames, Ashton was going out with his girlfriend while Gray and Alethea were going to go on a mini road trip and would probably be back after midnight. I was once again left to do what any insane adrenaline loving party going person would do, go to an illegal rave.

It wasn't hard to find a warehouse that was blasting loud music and had strobe lights blinding you the moment you enter. I immediately felt like I'm in my element. Tons of women wearing skimpy clothing offered me some drugs but I turned them down. I like to party hard but not too hard. I knew my limits. I danced and listened to the deafening music that they offered and before I knew it, it was already midnight. Raves like these would last until the dawn but I had work tomorrow so I simply went back to my motorcycle.

The drive was peaceful until I stopped in the middle of nowhere. I tried to start it but it seems that someone messed with the gas tank. I was about to fix it when I felt a strange and overwhelming presence. I felt the panic starting to rise in me but I tried to keep myself as calm as I could.

"Nice bike you got there." A woman came out wearing a dress that resembled something from the 1920's. I knew that she was strong but I could take her on… until I realized I was surrounded. Lots of vampires came out and attacked me all at once. They kicked and bit and scratched. I tried to break free but someone hit me on the head and I blacked out.

I felt hot blood trickle down my forehead and I woke up in a strange room and a horrible stench. It reminded me of other times I blacked out and found myself in an unfamiliar room with unfamiliar people, although this was not the same case.

"Look, he has his father's eyes" some women said while they swarmed around me.

"He looks like a full blood but his scent says otherwise." They all exchanged some words as if I wasn't in the room. I gritted my teeth and tried to move but the rope that tied me up seemed different. I struggled but the people just laughed. They suddenly gasped and cleared a path.

"Welcome home my boy, please, feel at home" I gritted my teeth even harder. I stared at my father. His charcoal hair was combed back and his eyes glowed a sinister shade of red. He was a lot more paler than I remember and he was a hell more confident too.

"I will never feel at home again ever since mom and Diana died."

He scowled. The murderer was still out there and he was taking his time here rallying vampires against humans.

"I did love your mother but I realized that no matter how much I loved her, our kinds can't simply be with each other. I killed her since mortals die anyway so I just sent her to the other world faster. Didn't she say she always wanted to be close to 'God'? Diana, your sister, was not strong enough so I just killed her too. Can't have the weak producing more weak, can we?"

I felt the blood rush through me. I want to break his skull. I want to tear out his heart.I tried to break free but I couldn't move much.

"Fuck you. You killed so many people. You killed mom. You killed Diana. You killed the mother of one of my friends. I looked up to you because you saw the humans as equals, turns out you're just another scumbag of a vampire…" He hit me again and again. The other vampires merely laughed until my father walked out the room with them in tow.

I reached out and felt a large shard of glass. Please work.

I grabbed it and used it to cut the rope tied around me. It was finally lose but I find it hard to move my body. In this state I cannot possibly get away from them. I have to try though.

Even if it kills me.

I found a window I could crawl through. It was uncomfortable but I soon got out and checked for guards. When it was clear I tried to get as far away as I could. It's strange how there are no guards posted but I couldn't care less.

I don't know how long I walked but I reached the woods. I didn't even bother trying to find a way home all I know now is that I have to put as much distance as I can.

I felt my legs hurt like hell and I don't know how long I could keep walking. I reached a lake and looked across.

There's still hope.

I got into the ice cold water and half walked and half swam to the other side. I felt my lungs burning up and I felt so close to collapsing. Just a few more meters. My insides felt like they were being twisted and I couldn't take it anymore. I steadied my breathing and hoped for the best.

I finally reached a glass sliding door and broke through it. I felt my face hit the floor and a pair of feet going near me.

I made it.


End file.
